How crash could fuel clamour to ban elderly motorists
THE DUKE of Edinburgh’s crash at the age of 97 will spark fresh debate about the safety of older drivers on Britain’s roads.
More than five million motorists aged over 70 hold a driving licence, official figures show.
And more than 100,000 over-90s are still allowed to drive.
There are even 265 centenarians who hold a valid licence – with the oldest four all aged 104.
But last year the number of drivers aged over 70 referred by the DVLA for extra testing increased by 20 per cent, from 4,424 to 5,500.
Motoring groups have resisted calls for restrictions or bans on older drivers, pointing out they have fewer accidents than young people who have recently passed their test. This is reflected in their lower insurance premiums.
But police and safety campaigners have raised concerns that some older drivers are in no fit state to get behind the wheel.
Key worries are failing eyesight, slower reaction times and conditions such as dementia.
Motorists over 70 must complete a self-assessment every three years and declare they are in good enough shape to continue driving. This involves simply filling in a form and there is no requirement to take a formal test or medical examination. However, they must tell the DVLA if they develop a medical condition, such as Parkinson’s or epilepsy, that could affect their driving.
The DVLA can then arrange for a doctor to examine the driver, and will in some cases ask them to take a driving or eyesight test.
Depending on the outcome, they may be told to adapt their car to take account of their disability, issued with a licence for one, two or three years with their ability to drive reviewed after that – or ordered off the roads immediately.
Under guidance issued by the General Medical Council, GPs are obliged to alert the DVLA if they believe their patients are unfit to drive, but should try to persuade them to report themselves first.
Opticians have estimated there are around one million people of all ages with poor eyesight driving illegally on Britain’s roads.
They have called for drivers to be required to take a comprehensive vision check to prove they meet the legal standard when they first apply for a licence and every ten years after that.
Campaigners have also called for a so- called Poppy’s Law, making it a legal requirement for medical professionals to report patients who are unfit to drive.
This followed the death of three-year- old Poppy-Arabella Clarke, who was killed in 2016 by a motorist aged 73 who had ignored opticians’ warnings not to drive and was not wearing his glasses.
Police in Essex also raised the alarm after a surge in accidents involving drivers aged over 70. Between 2014 and 2016, motorists in this category were involved in 12 per cent of accidents in the county where somebody was killed or seriously hurt – despite accounting for only 7 per cent of the total miles driven.
Last night AA president Edmund King said imposing more restrictions – or even bans – on elderly drivers would not be the right move.
‘If driving restrictions based on age and safety were introduced we would be more likely to restrict young drivers,’ he said. ‘ Young, predominantly male, drivers are much more likely to crash within six months of passing their test than older drivers within six months of hanging up their keys.
‘The decision to hang up your keys is a tough one but should be based on personal advice from your GP and family rather than being based on some arbitrary age. We all age differently and the car is an essential lifeline for many elderly people.’
‘We all age differently’